Mortal Inn, Immortal Guests

Lei Yun is the current innkeeper of Changsheng Inn, located in the eerie Hejiang Alley of Changnan City. Although he appears to be a young man in his twenties, he is actually a transmigrator who has lived for over a thousand years. Ten years ago, he was a beggar saved by the previous innkeeper, Lei Jin, who revealed that the inn serves the dead. The establishment operates under an agreement with the King of the Underworld, helping ghosts fulfill their final wishes in exchange for Blood Pearls, which are used to prolong the innkeeper's life. Lei Yun inherited the inn after his master’s death and has since guarded it alone, growing increasingly lonely through the centuries as dynasties rose and fell.

The story begins on a routine night when a ghost named Lu Jianxi visits the inn. She wishes to send a dream to her son, Lu Tingchen, to reveal that she was murdered by his uncle. Lei Yun performs the ritual, and Lu Tingchen discovers his father’s body in a wine cellar, confirming the murder. In exchange for the service, Lu Tingchen transfers one hundred thousand yuan to Lei Yun’s account. Shortly after, Hu Lanlan, a fox spirit and Lei Yun’s longtime acquaintance, arrives with a black amulet. The amulet belongs to Liu Huan, a powerful ghost who had entrusted Lei Yun with a high-level commission: to ask a scholar why he abandoned her four hundred years prior. However, Liu Huan has disappeared, and the amulet was found in Liujia Village in Shandong, a place known for the mysterious disappearance of its entire population.

Determined to find Liu Huan and complete the commission before his soul is scattered, Lei Yun travels to Shandong with Hu Lanlan. On the train, they meet Wang Xiaohui, a college student, and a tomb raider named Scarface. Upon arriving in the area, they stay at Wang Xiaohui’s home before proceeding to the abandoned Liujia Village. There, they encounter an old man named Zhao Wufang and Scarface, who are secretly excavating an ancient tomb. Lei Yun suspects foul play and pretends to be drunk to infiltrate their group. He discovers that Zhao Wufang is not merely a grave robber but is involved in refining Yin Corpses using the baleful feng shui of the tomb.

Lei Yun and Hu Lanlan follow Zhao Wufang and his accomplices into the tomb, which belongs to Ji Ling, the second son of Emperor Ji Wusheng of the Northern Jin dynasty. The tomb is protected by complex mechanisms and a Bagua formation that traps those who do not know the correct path. Inside, they find a vast chamber filled with treasures and a white jade coffin. Zhao Wufang reveals his true intent: he plans to use the tomb’s yin energy to create an immortal corpse. Lei Yun realizes that Liu Huan’s soul is likely trapped within the tomb, caught in the crossfire of Zhao Wufang’s ritual. The innkeeper must now navigate the deadly tomb, confront the rogue Taoist, and rescue Liu Huan’s soul before the Yin Corpse refinement is completed, all while managing the dangerous dynamics with Hu Lanlan and the unexpected presence of the tomb raiders.

As the group delves deeper into the tomb, tensions rise. Zhao Wufang’s true nature becomes apparent, and he views Lei Yun and Hu Lanlan as obstacles to his immortality. The tomb’s ancient traps and the growing yin energy pose a constant threat to the living. Lei Yun must use his extensive knowledge of the supernatural and his connections with the Underworld to outsmart Zhao Wufang. The situation is complicated by the presence of Wang Xiaohui and Scarface, who are unaware of the full extent of the danger. Lei Yun’s primary goal shifts from simply retrieving the amulet to preventing Zhao Wufang from creating a Yin Corpse, which could destabilize the balance between the living and the dead. The narrative follows Lei Yun’s strategic maneuvers as he prepares to confront Zhao Wufang in the heart of the tomb, where the boundary between life and death is thinnest.

The climax approaches as Zhao Wufang activates the final stages of his ritual. Lei Yun and Hu Lanlan are forced to work together to disable the tomb’s defenses and protect Liu Huan’s soul. The innkeeper’s long life and experience prove crucial as he identifies the weaknesses in Zhao Wufang’s formation. Meanwhile, Wang Xiaohui and Scarface find themselves caught in the supernatural conflict, with Scarface’s tomb-raiding skills becoming unexpectedly useful. Lei Yun must make a critical decision: save Liu Huan and complete his commission, or prevent Zhao Wufang from escaping the tomb with his newfound power. The story culminates in a confrontation within the tomb chamber, where Lei Yun’s authority as the Innkeeper of Changsheng Inn is tested against the ambitions of a rogue cultivator seeking eternal life.